NATIVE FOREST AND PLANTATIONS OF INTRODUCED TREES, 165 
together—a double story of productiveness ! Stone-pine yields the most 
delicate and valuable of all nuts. A soft-shel! variety is in cultivation 
and comes fairly true from seed. 
HAILURE OF STRopUS-pINE (Pinus strobus) in Evurory, 
When, as a boy, I walked into the forests of central Kurope I used to 
wonder why they did not plant more of this fine pine—the great ‘‘ White- 
pine’’ of America. It grew faster than the native trees, more regularly, 
and kept the soil cleaner. Where, then, was the risk in planting it? I 
knew that there was little planting done in the regeneration of the forest, 
but this fine tree seemed really worth the cost of planting, which was then 
only some £3 per acre. But the older men shook their heads ; they con- 
tinued planting, but cautiously. This valuable pine grew well for over 
two centuries in Europe. Then a European fungus, called Cronartium 
ribicola, captured it, a little fungus growing on Gooseberry and Currant 
bushes. Acclimatization was still imperfect. 
Now the Strobus-pine has almost ceased to exist as a practical forest- 
tree in Europe owing to the attacks of this fungus. This was bad enough, 
but worse was to follow. It spread to America. 
At this moment the White-pine of the eastern States, U.S.A., the 
forest-tree that has made more wealth than any wild forest-tree, is 
threatened with extinction. It is considered worth while spending 
£500,000 (some estimates say £1,000,000) in the attempt to check the 
spread of this disease. With the young forestry of America, White-pine 
is the only tree that has been studied silviculturally and put into culti- 
vated forests, like European forest-trees. It is stated that all the pines 
in the three- and five-needle class are liable to take the pine-blister 
disease. The total stumpage value of such pines in the United States of 
America is estimated at £100,000,000. 
Silviculturally the Strobus-pine is perhaps the best of all the trees 
planted in the Government forest plantations at Rotorua. How long 
will it last? Perhaps just as long as a neighbouring farmer does not 
walk near it with dirty boots! Or it may be a century before the Goose- 
berry fungus reaches New Zealand. Mr. Goudie in the Rotorua planta- 
tions is taking no great risk: he is not planting White-pine largely. 
It may be noted that gooseberry has run wild in the South Island, 
increasing the risk for Strobus, Insignis, and other pines there. 
Spruce AND LARCH. 
The common European Spruce is a climatic misfit in the Northern 
Island of New Zealand, and soon failed there; but it grew well in the 
South for forty years, and may still be seen growing well in isolated 
places, but in the extensive Government plantations at Tapanu1 it i 
failed largely, and has had to be replaced by other trees. Climatica lr 
fitted it will probably do well in the Southern Island. a. 
Sitka Spruce has had a similar history in Belgium, but ine ailure 
there is not complete, and in Scotland Sitka is growing to pariecion 
It is failing on the Canterbury Plains of New Zealand, but age mei 
have been planted there. It may ee Ae ae aun geen orests 0 
i ay continue to get its disease t . 
i A ar et ei colder abe “8 ene hoapt oie kae! pa 
n vears; it then begins to ge fall,” gp 
Soe ce oeinante dead or dying at forty. The Forest Commission’s. 
